Happy New Year

Happy New Year to you all!  I am really looking forward to sharing projects and ideas with you this year and already have an ever growing list of projects that I would like to make in my 'spare' moments.

I have really enjoyed all of the snow this Christmas and the extra bank holidays because it gave us an excuse to stay inside make soup, play lots of board games around the kitchen table and watch lots of DVD's.  It has also meant that I have been able to do lots of crafting...

One project that I have wanted to complete for a while is a Sock Monkey.  Making stuffed toys from old socks is suggested to date back to Victorian times but it was in the first half of the 20th Century that the Sock Monkey came about.  There are lots of patterns around for Sock Monkeys and once you have the basic pattern you can make them completely unique.  I found my pattern here.

I made this one in about 2 hours but that was hand sewing rather than machine sewing.  My girls loved him so much that they were arguing over who was going to get him before he was even made.  My eldest, Mia won 'eenie meenie miney moe' and so she was the lucky recipient.  I have promised not to go to bed tonight until I have made one for my younger daughter, Amy.

The sewing involved is really basic and I think that anyone could have a go, hope you enjoy making yours.